The harmonica does not have the human appeal that other musical instruments have. Other musical instruments appear in orchestras, but the harmonica very seldom appears in an orchestra. Most often, the harmonica appears as a solo instrument. The reason may be that it is a difficult task to master the art of playing the harmonica (i.e., of playing one harmonica note at a time). The human mouth spans more than one harmonica hole, making it difficult to sound or play one harmonica note in isolation. Therefore, fewer people resort to playing, and enjoying, the harmonica. If more people are motivated or encouraged to play the harmonica, it may well take its place in orchestras alongside of other wind instruments.
Most wind instruments have a mouthpiece. Fingers are used to aid in sounding single notes. In contrast, the harmonica does not have a mouthpiece. Moreover, the tongue is used to aid in sounding single notes. The recommended manner of playing the harmonica, used by professional harmonica players, is the tongue blocking method.
It is a much easier task to manipulate the fingers than to manipulate the tongue. The fingers are naturally adapted to playing a musical instrument whereas the tongue is not naturally adapted to playing a harmonica.
The tongue blocking method is described as follows. The tongue is brought forward through the parted lips, which span several harmonica holes, and is pressed against, thus blocking, all but one of the holes spanned by the lips. Sufficient space is left between one side of the tongue and the adjacent corner of the lips to blow air into, or draw air out of, the exposed, or unblocked hole. The tongue remains in this position as the harmonica is moved sideways, in either direction, to align each desired hole, for sounding or playing, with the space between the tongue and the corner of the lips. This is a difficult art to master, requiring a great deal of perseverance.
To attempt to sound one note at a time without the use of the tongue would require bringing the lips together in the manner of whistling, allowing a small opening between the lips, sufficient to blow air into, or draw air out of, a single hole. This method is also difficult, perhaps more difficult than the tongue blocking method.
The Peters' invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,232, describes a harmonica hole selector comprising a holder for the harmonica that is slidable thereon and which defines an opening arranged to be aligned with any one of selected openings at the front of the harmonica. An air conduit communicates with the holder opening and extends therefrom a distance at least sufficient to enable a user during use thereof to view the front of the harmonica. The Peters' invention comprises a holder, having top, bottom, front, and rear, surfaces to hold the harmonica in operational position, a window for displaying the numbers, 1 through 10, associated with each harmonica hole, a fingerhold to enable the user to control the holder, a conduit, approximately 4 inches long, which provides an air duct intended to be aligned with any desired harmonica hole, for the purpose of blowing, or drawing, air for sounding a note.
The Peters' invention is a device that enables a user to play one note at a time, without need for using the tongue blocking method, in playing a harmonica. However, Peters' invention is not feasible for use in an orchestra, for the following reasons:
1. The harmonica cannot be played in the customary fashion, with the two hands cupped about the harmonica. The Peters' reference requires one hand on the fingerhold 36, and the other hand on the harmonica. Without the hands cupped about the harmonica, the vibrato effect cannot be employed, which is an essential part of playing a harmonica. PA1 2. All good musicians depend on sound, touch, and memory to perform in an orchestra, while their eyes remain on the music sheet. The Peters' invention is a sight operated device, which requires the eyes to view the number 42 inscribed on the harmonica. It would not be feasible for a musician to depend on aligning the inscribed number 42 on the harmonica with the window 40 in the holder 24 for providing a good performance. The musician's eyes would be required to move quickly from music sheet to the window 40, and back to the music sheet. Also, it would not be feasible to slide the harmonica within the holder 24 from number 42 to number 42, without overslide, or underslide, that is, it would not be feasible to move from one number 42 to another accurately, without hesitation. PA1 3. The probability exists that the harmonica in the Peters' holder 24 will twist out of alignment with the walls 38 and 32 of the holder 24, thus causing the harmonica to wedge itself within the walls and resulting in a momentary pause in the playing of the harmonica. This would create a stop and go effect, which would not be tolerated in an orchestra. PA1 4. The Peters' invention requires the head, and face, to remain motionless, that is, the head, and face, must not turn to either side, nor bob up and down, because the holder 24 must remain stationary, otherwise the harmonica will twist out of alignment, and cause the harmonica to become wedged within the holder 24. This stationary position of the head would cause neck and shoulder muscle strain. A user would be under mild, to severe, strain during prolonged use of the Peters' invention.
The shield presented in this application does not have the above limitations: it is designed to enable a user to handle a harmonica in the customary fashion.
A structural difference between Peters and the shield of this invention requires that the Peters holder 24 be attached to a harmonica, remaining self-attached, provided the harmonica is maintained in a horizontal position. If the harmonica should be placed in a vertical position, then the holder 24 could slide off of the harmonica. The shield of this invention is not attached to the harmonica, and does not, can not, maintain itself proximate the harmonica. The present shield requires contact with the lips to maintain operational position, and proximity to the harmonica. When the lips are removed from the shield, the shield can easily drop off of, fall away from, the harmonica, especially, if the harmonica, while in a horizontal position, is rotated such that the front surface of the harmonica is faced in the downward position.
It would be advantageous to provide a suitable aid whereby beginning students can sound, and play, single, pure, notes and thus learn to recognize, and identify or distinguish, the notes of the scale, in the customary fashion of using a harmonica, without need to use the Tongue Blocking Method.
It would also be advantageous to provide a suitable aid that would facilitate the sounding of single notes without need for using the tongue.
It would also be advantageous to provide a suitable aid to enable students, who do not have tongue dexterity, or perseverance, to learn to play a harmonica well.
It would also be advantageous to provide a mechanism for eliminating the requirement for tongue dexterity for beginning harmonica students.
It would also be advantageous to provide a means of decreasing or eliminating frustration on the part of the beginning harmonica student.
It would also be advantageous to provide a mechanism for preventing unwanted air leakage, from the corners of the lips.
It would also be advantageous to provide a device which would be simple, adaptable, and inexpensive.
Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.